Do You Believe?
by here-not-there
Summary: "Do you believe in love?" One simple question, one completely unrelated situation brings out the feelings that they've kept in for too long. A New Year's Eve story. E/O ONE SHOT


**A/N: Hey all! Thank you all for sticking with me since I first posted my first story! I couldn't have kept on writing if it wasn't for amazing people like you! I was going to wait until New Year's Eve to post this but decided to give it to you guys as an early gift! I had a great 2010, and I hope that 2011 will be better for all of us! *hugs***

**Oh and Kathy and Elliot never got back together after the divorce and baby Eli doesn't exist. **

**Disclaimer: These two still aren't mine. :(**

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"Do you believe in love at first sight?"

Olivia turned to face her partner. They were the only ones left in the bullpen. It was late. It was New Year's Eve and he wasn't with the kids. This was serious. She locked her stuff in her locker before turning back to face him.

"What's going on, El?"

Elliot leaned against the lockers, "Maureen. She announced she was going to get married with this guy from work at dinner," he said, shaking his head, "she claims it was love at first sight and the were going to tie the knot either way. I mean I haven't even met this prick!"

Olivia smiled widely, "Mou's getting married? Congratulations!"

Elliot glared at her, "Did you not hear the rest of my little speech? She's getting married to a guy that she's only known for a few months! Who knows if he has a record or some deep dark secret?"

Olivia smiled even wider, "You do. I'm sure you did a full background check tracing back to his great-great-grandfather and couldn't find a smudge anywhere."

Elliot cocked a brow, "And what makes you think I don't trust my own daughter's judgment?"

Olivia chuckled inwardly at his contracting statements, not wanting to torture her distraught partner any more she just grinned, "Otherwise you'd be at the poor guy's place, threatening him to move to Timbuktu instead of being Mr. Grouchy here. So tell me about your future son-in-law."

Elliot visually cringed, "Don't say that," he groaned, "it's too early for that kind of trauma."

Ignoring the glare Elliot shot her way when she barked a laugh at his statement, Olivia rephrased her words, "Tell me about the poor bastard."

"Jason Gerrard. I had to pull strings to get his background info since he just moved here from England a year back."

"You have strings in England?" Olivia interrupted, shocked to learn something new about her partner.

Elliot ignored her, "Graduated from Oxford, double majoring in finance and psychology. He was recruited straight out of school by this big fancy firm and quickly worked his way up. Sources say that at twenty-eight, he's the youngest CEO in the company's history."

"So basically what you're saying is that he's young, has money and is successful?" Olivia concluded when he finished, "It'd be damned if he was good looking."

Olivia opened the file Elliot thrusted at her, "Wow," she awed when she saw the photo, "He's rich, young AND good looking."

She looked up from the file to eye Elliot, "Why are you so worried? He seems like a great guy."

Elliot's face scrunched up; apparently he was imagining his partner to fall in sync with him going on about how his little girl shouldn't be so impulsive, etc. etc.

Olivia handed the file back to him, "Look El, trust Mou. She needs to know that her father will be there for her," she said softly, "Plus, you can have your turn of beating him up if one day, God forbids, he does anything to sorry your little girl."

Elliot returned her smirk, "Thanks, Liv."

She turned around to lock her locker and turned back to find him staring at her.

"What?" Olivia asked, eyeing him quizzically.

"So do you believe?"

Olivia's brows scrunched up in confusion, "What?"

"Love at first sight."

"You can't be serious, El," she scoffed.

He just looked at her.

"You're serious, aren't you?" Olivia asked incredulously.

"I never joke about relationships, Liv," Elliot said quietly.

There was something about that moment that caused Olivia to cave, "I believe in attraction at first sight, maybe even lust but no, I don't believe in love at first sight."

"Why not?" Elliot asked as he took a step closer.

"Because," Olivia started, tasting the words prickling on her tongue before speaking, "attraction is simple and lust is even simpler. But love is complicated. It's not just about attraction and lust, there's more involved: compatibility, security, trust, risks, availability..." she trailed off, avoiding Elliot's piercing gaze.

"Liv - "

"No, Elliot, I'm not you. I wasn't lucky to marry my high school sweetheart and have four beautiful children. Not everyone has a fairy tale life!"

Olivia wasn't sure where the sudden anger came from as she let out a frustrated groan and raked her hand through her hair.

"The first fairy tale ending at a divorce," Olivia heard Elliot mumble. She ignored him, cursing herself for the malfunction of the filter between her mouth and brain.

She was about to grab her bag and leave when she heard Elliot move.

"Do you believe in love?"

Her head snapped up, "Are you high? What's with all the weird questions all of a sudden?"

"Just humor me, Liv," Elliot said. Olivia thought she heard a hint of something in his voice. Desperation?

_No, it couldn't be. _Olivia thought to herself. She'd known Elliot long enough to know there was something behind his question and he wasn't going to let go until he got his answer.

"Just for the record, you're annoying me and making my year end in a sucky way," Olivia huffed.

Elliot chuckled darkly, "Notice taken. So do you?"

Olivia chose her words carefully before answering, "I believe that love exists and that some people are fortunate enough to know what it feels like."

"But you don't think it will happen to you?" Elliot gently interrogated.

Olivia bit her lip to stop herself from blurting out something that she would later regret. She took a deep breath and said, "Just because I believe that something like love exists, it doesn't mean I think it will happen to me."

"Oh."

"Oh?" Olivia echoed, "That's all?"

Elliot shrugged, "Yeah, wanna go for a drink?"

"What?"

"Unless you have a date tonight?"

"No, I...Nuh-uh Stabler, you get your ass back here and explain to me what's going on. You do not get to poke and prod the details of what I believe in and then shrug it off with a drink!" Olivia demanded, raising her voice.

Elliot spun around to face her, "What's there to explain, Liv?" he asked, frustration and anger evident in his voice, "You don't believe and you're as stubborn as stubborn can be! There's nothing I can do about it, is there?"

"What the hell, El! You've been talking cryptic all night. I can't read every damn thought that's going on in your head!"

They stood there, glaring at each other, fists clenched.

Complete silence.

Glancing at the clock, Olivia let out a low growl, she grabbed her bag and made her way to the door, "Screw you, Stabler, I'm not spending the last few minutes of the year with you," she almost snarled as she passed Elliot, who was standing between her and the only exit.

Elliot reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back as she passed him.

"What the fu- "

Olivia was cut off with Elliot's lips crashing onto hers.

Her brain kicked in a few seconds later. _Her partner, Elliot Stabler was kissing her. In the precinct. On New Year's Eve. _She closed her eyes and began kissing him back.

Air be damned. Olivia didn't know how long she had wanted this to happen. She felt his grip on her wrist loosen, she circled her arms around his neck, tilting her head and deepening the kiss.

When they finally broke apart in need for air, Elliot looked at her with a smug grin. She knew her face was flushed, was breathing heavily and probably wouldn't be able to stand on her own if she'd let go of him but she didn't care.

"So this is why you were talking cryptic all night?" Olivia asked once her brain started to clear.

"Pretty much. I was charming you all night, wasn't I?" Elliot smirked, pulling her closer.

Olivia playfully smacked his shoulder, "Cocky bastard."

He dropped a kiss on her forehead, "I love you, Olivia. That's what I was trying to tell you all night. Since I laid eyes on you. You deserve to be loved."

"No wonder Kathy divorced you," Olivia chuckled.

"Shut up, Benson," Elliot murmured before catching her lips again.

"I love you, too," Olivia hummed after she pulled back from the kiss, "Always had."

Elliot pulled back a bit to see Olivia's face.

"How did I get so lucky?" he murmured as he swept away a few stray hairs from her face.

_10, 9, 8..._The pair turned their heads to listen to the sudden uproar from the streets outside the precinct.

_7, 6, 5..._Elliot turned back to Olivia with a playful look in his eyes, "Still a sucky way to end your year?" he asked, quoting Olivia from earlier.

_4, 3, 2..._ "Shut up, Stabler," Olivia mumbled, locking her hands behind his neck and pulling him down.

_1! Happy New Year! _Their lips met each other half way.

With the cries of joy coming from the streets, Elliot and Olivia knew that in each other's embrace, was the best way possible to start the new year.

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**An early Happy New Year! I hope you'll all have fun and an awesome 2011! :D**


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